COMPLICATIONS OF ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE

Abstract

Ischemic heart disease often leads to a cascade of downstream problems once myocardial blood flow is compromised. One of the earliest and most frequent sequelae is the development of electrical instability within the heart. As ischemic or infarcted tissue alters the normal conduction pathways, patients become prone to arrhythmias-ranging from benign premature beats to life-threatening ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. These ventricular arrhythmias are the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in IHD, while atrial fibrillation may arise from atrial stretch due to elevated filling pressures or scarring.